Category Archives: Verona High School

The Coaches Choice USA Showcase featured many of the top girls teams and players from around New Jersey. Our JSZ cameras caught the action from three of the top games, plus two great boys games between Bergen Catholic/Red Bank Catholic and Pleasantville/Atlantic City. St. John Vianney 76 Saddle River Day 51 | Girls If there were ever any doubts about who the No. 1 team in New Jersey was, those concerns were extinguished emphatically Sunday night. St. John Vianney – ranked No. 5 nationally by ESPN – dominated Saddle River Day from start to finish in a game that was further apart than the final score indicated. St. John Vianney (19-0) was paced by Madison St. Rose and her game-high 28 points, while Zoe Brooks also had 14 points and Megan Cahalan finished with 12 points. Paulina Paris led Saddle River Day (16-1) with a team-best 19 points. JSZ’s Jay Cook has the highlights and reaction from Holmdel: Rutgers Prep 47 Red Bank Catholic 43 | Girls No. 3 Rutgers Prep (15-1) defeated No. 5 Red Bank Catholic (18-3) 47-43 to pick up a fourteenth straight win. Locked into a tight battle early, Red Bank Catholic led 26-25 at halftime. Rutgers Prep would take the lead early in the third quarter as sophomore Mikayla Blakes had the Argonauts ahead 45-37 entering the fourth. In the final quarter Rutgers Prep would hold the ball for the last five remaining minutes of regulation, scoring only on two free throws from Blakes as they would hold on for a close win. She would finish with 25 points while Rutgers commit Antonia Bates had 9 points and 10 rebounds. JSZ’s Nery Rodriguez has the highlights:  Manasquan 55 Paul VI 50 | Girls With numerous college coaches attending, the No. 6 ranked Manasquan Warriors took down the No. 9 ranked Paul VI Eagles. After trailing going into the half, Manasquan outpaced Paul VI in the last 16 minutes. Hope Masonius led the second-half surge and netted 15 total points to put the Warriors ahead and secure the win. Hannah Hidalgo lead all players with 21 points for the Eagles in the loss. JSZ’s Ken Bradley has the highlights from Holmdel: Bergen Catholic 68 Red Bank Catholic 48 | Boys Julian Brown scored 19 of his 22 points in the second half and Brandon Benjamin had 15 points and 9 rebounds as the Crusaders (13-6) wiped out a five-point halftime deficit with a dominating performance in the final two quarters on Sunday to hands RBC (17-3) just its 3rd loss of the season. JSZ’s Rich Chrampanis has the Sunday highlights from Red Bank: Pleasantville 51 Atlantic City 48 | Boys The Greyhounds got it done in overtime to pick up its first win of the season, taking down the Vikings to close out the 2022 Battle by the Bay. Markhi Barnes scored a game-high 20 points in the win, including the go-ahead basket in OT. Shakir Boyd added ten points on the afternoon, knocking down clutch free throws to help preserve the win for Pleasantville (1-9). Dylan Culmone finished with a team-high 13 points in the loss for Atlantic City (4-10). JSZ’s James Mooney has the highlights from Atlantic City: Coaches Choice USA Showcase and bonus boys basketball coverage is brought to you by OceanFirst Bank.

The Garden State is littered with high profile wrestling programs and tonight JSZ was in attendance for a milestone victory! Phillipsburg 70 Watchung Hills 10 One of the most storied wrestling programs in New Jersey once again etched their name into wrestling history as the Stateliners won their 1000th team dual. Phillipsburg becomes just the fourth program in New Jersey to reach the century mark on the mat and they did it in overwhelming dominant fashion. Seven different Phillipsburg wrestlers earned pins on a night the entire community will remember. JSZ’s Ken Bradley has the highlights from Phillipsburg: Match of the Week coverage is made possible by Ocean First Bank

JSZ has a pair of great games to close out Opening Weekend on the hardwood. Grab your JSZ All-Access Pass to watch all of the action! St. John Vianney 95 Chartiers Valley (PA) 66 | Girls Basketball The Lancers welcomed in some of the best out of state competition and proved their dominance in the […] To access this post, you must purchase an All Access Pass. You can log in here or purchase an All Access Pass here. Become an All Access Pass Holder. You will be redirected to login or purchase page.

The boys of the Garden State took to Kean University for the Group Finals. We have the highlights from state championship wins for Kearny and Delran! Kearny 6 Freehold Township 2 | Group 4 Finals Coming in with only one loss on the season, the Kearny Cardinals once again proved their offensive attack is among the top in the state. The Cardinals got out to an early two score lead as Dalton Davilla got the scoring started 16 minutes in and Alan Antonelli put the second goal in 10 minutes before the half off the assist from Juan Rojas. Freehold Township got on the board first in the second half with a goal from Logan Mullaney but could never overtake the lead from Kearny. Two goals from Juan Rojas were the difference in the second half that set the Cardinals apart before they went on to win 6-2. Alejandro Alvarado and Johan Nieto-Baez both scored once for Kearny in the win while Josh Hocheiser scored the second goal for Freehold. JSZ’s Ken Bradley has the highlights from Kean: Delran 2 Ramsey 1 | Group 2 State Championship Drew Roskos scored his 33rd goal and Matt Ryan added another as Delran survived a final ten minutes being two men down due to red cards to win the Group 2 title. Goalkeeper Eamon McLoughlin made a championship saving stop late to preserve a 2-1 victory. JSZ’s Darron Wallace has the highlights and post-match reaction from Kean University: Jersey Sports Zone’s state championship soccer coverage is being brought to you by OceanFirst Bank

High school football in the Garden State has returned. With the 2021 season now officially opened, teams are turning the page on a turbulent 2020 season in hopes of playing full schedules and competing for real championships. Our team of MMJ’s have hit the ground running and will have new previews everyday leading up to the start of Week 1 on Sept. 3. Bookmark this page for all the latest on New Jersey high school football! 8/9: Don Bosco Prep A 2-3 season last year will fuel one of New Jersey’s most storied programs into the 2021 season. The Ironmen return a plethora of talent from a team that weathered through bumps in the road last fall. Junior five-star left tackle Chase Bisontis headlines a talented offensive line unit that will hold the fort for an offense that returns numerous skill position starters. Navy commit Timmy Hinspeter and Fordham commit Claudy Robinson are the two big names that will anchor this Don Bosco defense. JSZ’s Jay Cook has the story from Ramsey: 8/10: Seton Hall Prep 2020 was an up and down year for Seton Hall Prep and the surging Pirates have their sights set on stability and consistency in 2021. QB Jaden Craig – a Harvard commit – returns to lead the offense with Myles Thomason and Nick Dunneman, a group that will bring plenty of fireworks to the Kelly Athletic Complex. JSZ’s Jay Cook has more from the West Orange private school: Jersey Sports Zone’s coverage of all Seton Hall Prep athletics is proudly provided by “One on One with Steve Adubato!” 8/11: Wall The Crimson Knights not only emerged as the top team in the Shore but the top-ranked public team in New Jersey after a 7-0 record. JSZ’s Rich Chrampanis has the story from the reigning Shore Conference champions. 8/12: St. Augustine After a 4-3 campaign in 2020, the Hermits look to reestablish themselves as Non-Public Group 4 title contenders. Northwestern commit Denis Jaquez, Army commit Brady Small, Kanye Udoh, Nasir Hill and Trey McLeer lead a loaded and experienced senior class for the Prep. JSZ’s Mike Frankel checks in with the Hermits in Richland: 8/13: Rumson-Fair Haven Expectations are always sky high in Rumson. The Bulldogs are in the Shore Conference’s top division looking to earn their spot in the Shore’s top 4 and play for a conference title followed by their usual quest to go deep in the state playoffs. JSZ’s Rich Chrampanis takes us to Rumson to preview the Bulldogs: 8/14: Notre Dame Sean Clancy is 15-2 (5-1 in 2020) during his first two years as Notre Dame’s head coach. Having to replace prolific two-way scoring threat Rickey “Pop” Spruill, the Irish will look to sophomore AJ Surace, son of Princeton University Head Football Coach Bob Surace, at the starting quarterback role. ND suffered a tremendous loss in the offseason when longtime strength and conditioning coach John McKenna passed away just weeks before training camp. Featured on our All Access coverage in 2020, McKenna’s presence is still felt and his spirit continues to motivate the program.  JSZ’s Nery Rodriguez stopped by Lawrenceville: Thank you to Princeton Orthopaedic Associates for sponsoring our Notre Dame coverage. 8/15: Bergen Catholic Questions remained at the end of the 2020 season as to which team was No. 1 in New Jersey. Entering 2021, however, Bergen Catholic feels they have what it takes to be the best in New Jersey. Led by a defense with nine returning starters and an offense that looks to put up points in bunches, the Crusaders have aspirations of playing for a state championship in MetLife Stadium in just a few months. JSZ’s Jay Cook previews the Oradell-based non-public powerhouse: Jersey Sports Zone’s coverage of Bergen Catholic is made possible by Rothman Orthopaedics. 8/16: Timber Creek 2020 was an up-and-down year for the Chargers, who finished with a 3-4 record under first-year coach Brian Wright. With just a handful of starters returning, Wright is tasked with getting a young, but talented group up-to-speed in year two. Illinois commit Donovan Leary leads an intriguing mix of youth and experience as Timber Creek looks to get back into title contention in 2021. JSZ’s James Mooney has the story from Gloucester Township: Coverage of Timber Creek is brought to you by Cooper University Health Care. 8/17: South Brunswick South Brunswick’s first year in the newly formed Big Central Conference didn’t go as planned, as the Vikings won their first four games of the season before dropping three in a row to end 2020. John Viotto, entering his third season as head coach, will look to players like five-star kicking recruit and Rutgers University commit Jai Patel to lead the team in 2021. JSZ’s Nery Rodriguez stopped by training camp for the latest:  Thank you to Princeton Orthopaedic Associates for sponsoring our South Brunswick coverage. 8/18: Millville Syracuse commit LeQuint Allen will lead the way for a Thunderbolts team hoping to contend for a sectional title in 2021. Nate Robbins enters his third year as Millville’s starting QB, while dynamic freshman Lotzier Brooks has all of Cumberland County buzzing. JSZ’s Mike Frankel checks in with the Bolts: 8/19: Donovan Catholic The Griffins were a mere half-yard from a perfect 2020 season and an unofficial Shore Conference championship, but Dan Curcione’s team is ready to hit the reset button and challenge defending champ Wall for the top spot in the American Division and a chance to do damage both in the new Shore playoffs as well as the road to the Non-Public Group 3 state championship. JSZ’s Rich Chrampanis has more on the Griffins from Toms River: 8/20: Winslow Twp. The Eagles won five of their six games in 2020 to earn the program’s first winning season in a decade. Now Winslow is looking to keep the momentum going in 2021. Senior LB Emeril Mitchell will lead the way on defense, while QB Hamas Duren and RB Trey Thorpe should put up big numbers on offense. JSZ’s Mike Frankel has the preview: 8/20: St. Joe’s (Mont.) It won’t be easy replacing reigning JSZ Zoneman Player of the Year Audric Estime, but St. Joe’s will lean on their new core of top talent to usher in the next generation of Green Knights. Joe’s, yet again, plays an incredibly tough schedule and will have to weather through the gauntlet if they want to compete for a state title in 2021. JSZ’s Jay Cook profiles St. Joe’s (Mont.): Jersey Sports Zone’s coverage of St. Joe’s (Mont.) is made possible by Rothman Orthopaedics. 8/21: Trenton Trenton was one team greatly affected by Covid-19 protocols. The Tornadoes not only shut down and rescheduled games, but were also forced to trim the roster down to less than 30 athletes, leaving many players confused and discouraged from participating in the offseason. New head coach Chris Franco brings his expertise over from prep powerhouse The Hun School. Franco is eager to restore a bit of normalcy back into one of Mercer County’s most beloved programs. JSZ’s Nery Rodriguez stopped by training camp:  Thank you to Princeton Orthopaedic Associates for sponsoring our Trenton coverage. 8/21: St. Joseph Academy (Hammonton) Having to fight to keep their school open and playing without a home field, the Wildcats know about adversity. This season, St. Joe aims to retake its place as one of the top Non-Public teams in the state. Cohl Mercado, P.J. Williams, Bryan Butkus, Jahqir Haley and Ja’son Prevard will lead the way in Paul Sacco’s 40th season at the helm in Hammonton. JSZ’s Mike Frankel checks in with the Wildcats: 8/22: Holmdel The Hornets have had an amazing three-year run including last year’s 6-1 record. The price of that success is a daunting schedule in the Shore Conference’s Colonial Division. JSZ’s Rich Chrampanis pays a visit to Holmdel and head coach Jeff Rainess: 8/22: Cedar Creek The Pirates will lean on a deep and experienced senior class to right the ship after finishing 3-5 in 2020. JSZ All-Zone WR JoJo Bermudez and company are hungry for a return to the postseason under second-year coach James Melody. JSZ’s James Mooney has more from Egg Harbor City: 8/23: DePaul Catholic It’s a new year, and there’s a new head coach leading DePaul Catholic into 2021. Nick Campanile, who was promoted from offensive coordinator to head coach, takes the reigns of a surging Spartans program from John McKenna. The cupboard is certainly full this season. A trio of Division 1 recruits – A’Khoury Lyde, Q’yaeir Price and Eddie Conoran – anchor a defense with eight three-year varsity starters. DePaul’s usual pass-happy offense now goes to senior quarterback AJ Rodriguez. JSZ’s Jay Cook previews the Passaic County power: 8/23: Shawnee The Renegades look to get back on the winning track this season after finishing 1-6 in 2020. Four-year starting QB Matt Welsey leads a senior class with a lot to prove in 2021. Returning starters Dean Bialous, Fred McAneney, Ethan Krauss, and Luke Anderson will all see increased roles this season. JSZ’s James Mooney has the preview: Coverage of Shawnee is brought to you by Cooper University Health Care. 8/26: Northern Highlands The excitement surrounding Northern Highlands football is as high as its been in years. The Highlanders return four valuable starters and leaders to the team in 2021: QB Enzo Arjona, RB/DB Nick Branca, WR/DE Ian Langan and OL/DL Charlie Johnson. Those four will look to lead Northern Highlands on their drive to win a second sectional title in three seasons. JSZ’s Jay Cook has the preview from Allendale: 8/26: Delran The Bears enter 2021 with a chip on their shoulder after a tough end to a Covid-shortened 2020 season. Rutgers-commit Kenny Fletcher, senior RB Zac Palmer-Smith, and junior QB Derek Namnun have the Bears ready to challenge for a sectional title. JSZ’s James Mooney has more from Delran: 8/26: Mainland The Mustangs return a young core ready to take a step forward after finishing 2-4 in 2020. Mainland will feature an exciting one-two punch on offense in junior RB Jabriel Mace and junior QB Marlon Leslie. Sophomore LB JJ Sinclair will be a name to watch on the defensive side of the football. JSZ’s James Mooney checks in from the Mustang Corral: 8/26: Union Following a tough loss to Ridgewood at MetLife Stadium for the North Group 5 Championship, 2020 didn’t go as planned for Union as the Farmers went 4-3 in a condensed season affected by Covid-19. Union will have to replace versatile athlete Desmond Igbonisun, now at Rutgers, luckily the Farmers can look to younger brother and defensive threat, Davison Igbonisun to make plays in 2021 before he joins the Scarlett Knights next year. JSZ’s Nery Rodriguez has the story: 8/30: Lenape Despite ending the year with back to back losses, Lenape finishing 5-2 will once again be one of the premiere teams to watch in South Jersey. With players like Xavier Coleman now at Boston College and Tyler Davis off to University of Delaware, the Indians will look to players like Kylier Lightfoot and Kobi Ray-Reed to lead the offense.  JSZ’s Nery Rodriguez has the story from training camp:  8/31: Kingsway The Dragons look to reload and refocus in 2021 with a strong group of underclassmen stepping into big roles both on and off the field. Juniors Darrell Brown Jr. and Nate Maiers will be impact players on both sides of the football for the Dragons. Sophomore QB Joe Lyons, junior LB D.J. DiPietro, and junior DL Demetrious Ransom will be some of the newcomers to watch this season. Kingsway opens the season with a road trip to Rutgers University, where they will take on Shawnee at the Rumble on the Raritan. JSZ’s James Mooney has the preview from Swedesboro: 8/31: Piscataway After being shut down for the entire 2020 season due to COVID, Piscataway has a clean slate as they look to build back. The Chiefs were a juggernaut just three years ago after a perfect 13-0 season. The road to rebuilding begins this Friday night when Piscataway hosts Phillipsburg. JSZ’s Rich Chrampanis has a look at the 2021 Chiefs 8/31: Delbarton Delbarton’s 2020 team was arguably one of the best in program history. So, how will the 2021 rendition of the Green Wave respond? By setting their own standard. Stanford commit Pat Caughey anchors a defensive line with potentially three other Division 1 recruits: Chuck Nnaeto, Matt Gemma and Nigel McSween. Robbie Russo is in line to win the starting quarterback job and will have a reliable target in Nick Petrillo, one of the top returning pass catchers in the Super Football Conference. JSZ’s Jay Cook previews the Morristown-based private school: 8/31: Irvington Who is the top team in Essex County? Some will say Seton Hall Prep, but others will push for Irvington to hold that title. The Blue Knights’s 2021 campaign includes tough games against Union City, Wayne Hills, DePaul Catholic, Ridgewood and West Orange. That should prepare them for a deep playoff run. Two-way lineman Justin Evans-Jenkins is one of the top players in Essex County and will be a valuable leader for Irvington this season. The Blue Knights’ trio of national junior recruits – Adon Shuler, Nasir Addison and Famah Toure – bring top-end talent to a hungry team. JSZ’s Jay Cook has the preview on Irvington: 8/31: Red Bank Regional Shane Fallon’s father was a longtime athletic director and assistant football coach at Red Bank Regional in the late 1970’s. Now, the architect of the Rumson-Fair Haven football program comes back home to lead RBR into a new era. The Bucs had multiple shutdowns due to COVID but ended their 2-4 season with an upset win over Group 5 Hackensack. JSZ’s Rich Chrampanis previews the Bucs from Little Silver: 8/31: East Orange A condensed seven game season put a cap on what could’ve been something special for East Orange. The Jaguars went 5-2 in 2020, outscoring opponents in their first three games 81-6. With most of their starters returning they will have much to look forward to in 2021. At the top of that list is six foot, two hundred pound, Temple University commit and defensive threat, Kyle Louis. JSZ’s Nery Rodriguez has the full story:  8/31: Westfield No team scheduled to play was affected by Covid-19 in 2020 more than Westfield. Shutdowns led to a two game season in which the Blue Devils lost both games, a definite first for longtime Head Coach Jim DeSarno.  JSZ’s Nery Rodriguez stopped by training camp:  Thank you to the office of Jon Bramnick for sponsoring our Westfield coverage.  9/1: Middletown South The Eagles are coming off a 2-4 season but played one of the toughest schedules in the Shore Conference highlighted by a 32-25 upset win over RBC. More than anything, Steve Antonucci’s team is grateful to have a full season in front of them including the return of their annual Thanksgiving clash with Middletown North. Jack Latore leads a hard-nosed defense and Tom Shorck is back under center on the offensive side of the ball. JSZ’s Rich Chrampanis has a preview of Middletown South: 9/1: Ramapo The expectations surrounding Ramapo football are always sky high. While the goal for a sectional title isn’t changing in 2021, the actual group they’ll be competing in is. The Raiders are anticipating a bump-up from North Group 3 to North Group 4 this season, meaning new opponents and challenges throughout the year. Senior captains Dylan Snee and Jack Remo will be valuable pieces to the defense, while Bergen Catholic transfer Jack Grusser comes back to play quarterback at his hometown school. JSZ’s Jay Cook previews the Raiders: 9/1: Eastern 2021 marks a changing of the guard for the Vikings as Lionel Bolen takes over the program in his first season as head coach. The former Eastern assistant was a standout at Rancocas Valley and played collegiately for Notre Dame. Bolen’s goal in year one is to change the culture after a 1-4 finish in 2020. The Vikings feature a ton of talent all over the roster with junior QB Walt Clymer Jr., senior WR/DBs AJ Brooks, Jasiah Davis, and junior OL/DL Aidan Clark playing huge roles this season. JSZ’s James Mooney has more with the Vikings in Voorhees: Coverage of Eastern is brought to you by Cooper University Health Care. 9/1: Colts Neck After putting together a 7-1 season in 2021, Colts Neck got what they asked for – a major bump in competition. The Cougars are the newest addition to Shore Conference’s American Division, which features the conference’s best competition. Colts Neck will mix it up with Toms River North, Donovan Catholic, Wall and Rumson-Fair Haven in 2021 as they look to stake their claim as one of the top public schools in Central Jersey. Four-year starter Tommy Fallon returns under center and is surrounded by a senior-heavy team with plenty of varsity experience. JSZ’s Jay Cook previews the Cougars: 9/1: Hun 2020 was anything but typical for the Hun school. The nationally known prep powerhouse located in Princeton went 3-3 in a short season that restricted them to in-state play only. Prior to last year the Raiders had lost only four games in the three seasons, that included a slew of MAPL league championships. Things seem to be back on pace in Princeton and it doesn’t hurt when you have New Jersey’s number one ranked player, Rutgers commit Jacob Allen.  JSZ’s Nery Rodriguez stopped by training camp:  Thank you to Princeton Orthopaedic Associates for sponsoring our Hun coverage

County tournament season is well underway and our cameras have coverage of three conference playoff games – two from Union County and one more from Bergen County. Enjoy all the highlights with the JSZ All-Access Pass! Bergen Catholic 15 Ramapo 7 | Bergen County Tournament Quarterfinal Bergen Catholic (7-5) scored eight unanswered goals from the […] To access this post, you must purchase an All Access Pass. You can log in here or purchase an All Access Pass here. Become an All Access Pass Holder. You will be redirected to login or purchase page.

Brooke Knight made a statement on opening day. Knight lead the raiders to a 10-0 shutout win as she dealt a No-Hitter and compiled 10 strikeouts against Trinity Hall. She also dominated the game ball voting, earning over 20 percent more of the vote than second place. Take Our Poll

All roads lead to Phillipsburg in 2021. After a turbulent season, we’ve made it to the NJSIAA Girls Wrestling State Finals. Jersey Sports Zone has FULL highlights from the each championship bout from the girls finals at the home of the Stateliners. Stay tuned and enjoy the highlights! 100 Pound Champion: Isabella Santos, Elizabeth 107 […] To access this post, you must purchase an All Access Pass. You can log in here or purchase an All Access Pass here. Become an All Access Pass Holder. You will be redirected to login or purchase page.

We’ve got three more great matches as the dual season rolls on in every part of the state. JSZ brings you highlights from a tough North-South battle between Southern Regional and Phillipsburg, while also checking in on winnings effort from Watchung Hills and St.Peter’s Prep. Watch all the highlights with your JSZ All-Access Pass! Phillipsburg […] To access this post, you must purchase an All Access Pass. You can log in here or purchase an All Access Pass here. Become an All Access Pass Holder. You will be redirected to login or purchase page.

JSZ’s team of MMJ’s continues to hit the mats all across the state. Tonight we have highlights from a top 10 showdown, two of the CVC’s best, an NJAC divisional battle and a tussle on the Shore. Enjoy the action! North Hunterdon 32 Phillipsburg 23 A top 10 matchup between two Skyland Conference teams, #4 […] To access this post, you must purchase an All Access Pass. You can log in here or purchase an All Access Pass here. Become an All Access Pass Holder. You will be redirected to login or purchase page.

Our wrestling coverage during the first week of the 2021 season continues with a pair of Shore Conference matches. Subscribe with the JSZ All-Access Pass to watch the highlights! CBA 54 Freehold Township 13 CBA has seemingly opened the 2021 season on a mission after securing wins in their first two matches of the year. […] To access this post, you must purchase an All Access Pass. You can log in here or purchase an All Access Pass here. Become an All Access Pass Holder. You will be redirected to login or purchase page.

The Tigers capped off a nine-game win streak against Middlesex thanks to the near perfect effort of Moshood Adebule. Moshood scored 26 points while going 13-14 from the field, and he added nine rebounds! He captured over 6,700 votes to win the Central Jersey Week 5 Game Ball. Take Our Poll Watch Adebule’s Game Ball presentation here:

Our recap of the 2020 football season continues. Jersey Sports Zone has the best defensive touchdowns from the Garden State this season. The poll is live with the best of the best scores from the defensive side of the ball. Polls will be open until Tuesday, December 15th at noon. Vote for your favorite play and tell a friend to check out the action. Take Our Poll JSZ Post Season Awards Calendar Who had the top play of the 2020 season? Who will win the Zoneman Player of the Year? Who is on our All-Zone team? All the answers to those questions can be found by following along with JSZ as we navigate through the dozens of awards coming down the pipeline in December. Here’s a breakdown of what to expect in the coming weeks. JSZ Football Plays of the Year Special Teams TD of the Year: Monday, Dec. 7th through Wednesday, Dec. 9th.TD Pass Play of the Year: Thursday, Dec. 10th through Saturday, Dec. 12th.Defensive TD of the Year: Sunday, Dec. 13th through Tuesday, Dec. 15th.TD Run of the Year: Wednesday, Dec. 16th through Friday. Dec. 18th.Sack of the Year: Saturday, Dec. 19th through Monday, Dec. 21st.2020 Overall Play of the Year (6 Plays of the Year winners): Monday, Dec. 21st through Wednesday, Dec. 23rd 2020 All-Zone Team Presentation Announcement of JSZ Zoneman Finalists (5 Player of the Year Finalists): Monday, Dec. 7th.JSZ Non-Public All-Zone Offense: Monday, Dec. 14th.JSZ Non-Public All Zone Defense: Tuesday, Dec. 15th.JSZ Public All-Zone Offense: Wednesday, Dec. 16th.JSZ Public All Zone Defense: Thursday, Dec. 17th.Zoneman Finalist Features: Friday, Dec.18th.Zoneman Trophy Announcement (virtual interview) Dec. 18th.

Public sectional semifinal action on the boys side and JSZ was all around the state, capturing highlights from five games! Check back throughout the night as the highlights are posted. Hunterdon Central 8 Westfield 7 (OT) | Group 4 North Semifinal The phrase “instant classic” gets tossed around regularly – but there’s no question that’s what this game was. Dylan Johnson hit a remarkable golden goal from his knees to send the Red Devils back to a sectional title game for the second straight year. Johnson led Hunterdon Central (18-0) with three goals on the day. Westfield (11-7) fought back numerous times in this game to get it to overtime. JSZ’s Jay Cook has the highlights and reaction from a legitimate Game of the Year nominee in Flemington: Jersey Sports Zone’s coverage of Hunterdon Central is brought to you by Robert Wood Johnson University hospital in Somerville.  Jersey Sports Zone’s coverage of Westfield is brought to you by Senator Jon Bramnick. Scotch Plains-Fanwood 10 Randolph 8 | Group 3 North Semifinal Scotch Plains-Fanwood defeated Randolph 10-8 to reach the program’s first Sectional Final. After SPF opened with a score, Randolph with three straight goals went ahead 3-1. However, the Raiders would retake the lead and entered halftime up 8-6. Scotch Plains-Fanwood would hold onto a two goal advantage for the duration of the game. Jake Monroy finished with four goals for SPF. JSZ’s Nery Rodriguez has the highlights: Thank you to Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital (Rahway) for sponsoring our Scotch Plains-Fanwood coverage.  Southern 12 Howell 4 | Group 4 South Semifinal The Rams raced out to a 4-0 lead after the first period and never looked back. NJIT commit Ryan Sininsky and Jake Washco paced top-seeded Southern (15-3) with three goals each in the win. Vinny Burns scored two goals for the fifth-seeded Rebels (14-7) in the loss. Southern will now face third-seeded Lenape for the sectional crown this weekend. JSZ’s Mike Frankel has the highlights from Manahawkin: JSZ’s playoff lacrosse coverage is made possible in part by OceanFirst Bank. Manasquan 7 Wall 6 | Group 2 South Semifinal Robert Pendergist’s goal with 1:10 remaining was the game-winner that allowed the Warriors to avenge a Shore Conference Tournament loss to Wall and earn a spot in the Group 2 South championship game against Rumson-Fair Haven. Pendergist had missed three games with a shoulder injury and entered the game in the second half. James Farinacci had three goals to lead the Warriors and Robert Parazzo, who also returned from injury, had the game-tying goal in the fourth quarter. JSZ’s Rich Chrampanis has the highlights and post-game reaction from an awesome All-Shore state playoff matchup: Jersey Sports Zone’s coverage of Wall is brought to you by Monmouth Medical Center Haddonfield 11 Shore Regional 6 | Group 1 South Semifinal Trailing 4-3 at halftime, the Bulldogs surged in the second half to avenge its loss to the Blue Devils a year ago and punch its ticket to the sectional finals. Delaware commit Finn Morgan tallied three goals and three assists as Haddonfield outscored Shore 8-2 in the second half. Blaise Coley, Ryan Ward, Marcus DeVita, and Asher Conrey each scored a pair of goals in the win for Haddonfield (13-3). Sam Madalone scored two goals in the loss for Shore Regional (12-4). Haddonfield will face top-seed Caldwell in the Group 1 South final on Saturday. JSZ’s James Mooney has the highlights and reaction: Jersey Sports Zone’s coverage of Shore Regional is brought to you by Monmouth Medical Center.

Jersey Sports Zone brings you highlights and post-game reaction from both Shore Conference Tournament semifinal games from Count Basie Park in Red Bank. The championship is set for this Sunday in Lakewood at the home of the Jersey Shore Blueclaws. Red Bank Catholic 10 Rumson-Fair Haven 0 (6 Innings) Declan Leary pitched six shutout innings and the Caseys erupted for five runs in the sixth inning to return to the championship game to defend its title. Frank and Matt Scrivanic combined to go 5-8 with five runs and two RBI’s with both players making great plays in the field as well to knock out the top seed. Leary allowed just four hits and one walk to improve to 6-2 on the season. He has now pitched 13 shutout innings against Rumson this season. JSZ’s Rich Chrampanis has the highlights of the defending champs impressive effort: Jersey Sports Zone’s coverage of Rumson-Fair Haven is brought to you by Mario Venancio Jersey Sports Zone’s coverage of Red Bank Catholic is brought to you by Monmouth Medical Center Jackson Memorial 7 Donovan Catholic 3 Zach Crotchfelt added another pitching gem to his impressive resumé this season. Crotchfelt, the Auburn commit, struck out 13 batters over six innings of work to pitch Jackson Memorial (18-7) to the title game. Charlie Meglio, Matt Koblos and Aidan O’Donnell each had 2 RBI on the afternoon. Donovan Catholic (16-10) made it to the semifinals as the 22-seed, but fell short against one of the best pitchers in the entire state. The Jags are back in the Shore Conference Tournament final for the first time since 2012. JSZ’s Jay Cook has the highlights and reaction: Jersey Sports Zone’s coverage of Jackson Memorial and Donovan Catholic is brought to you by Community Medical Center in Toms River. 

Ben Schild continues to have a sensational high school career. Watch our feature from JSZ-TV on the Middletown South ace who has a county championship along with his state title from 2021 Middletown South pitcher Ben Schild was on the mound when the Eagles won the 2021 Group 4 state championship. His complete game 2-hitter against Montclair was the exclamation point on an 8-0 sophomore campaign. His junior season is on course for a similar track. Schild is currently 5-0 with a 1.28 ERA striking out 69 and walking just 15. Schild was on the hill when he struck out 11 in Middletown South’s 11-1 win over Wall in the Monmouth County Tournament finals at Brookdale Community College. The Eagles will now turn their attention to defending their Group 4 state title. JSZ’s Rich Chrampanis profile Schild on Jersey Sports Zone TV, which airs Sundays at 11:30 am on WLNY-TV (10/55):

With the regular season coming to a close in the softball world – and baseball soon to follow – Jersey Sports Zone is concluding its last round of RWJ Barnabas Health Game Balls for the 2021-2022 year. Take a look at who had standout games from both North and Central Jersey! Maddie Weir, Lodi Immaculate (North Jersey Softball) Lodi Immaculate’s big hitter Maddie Weir has now won JSZ Game Balls in back to back seasons. This year’s award comes after a monster game on May 10 against Paterson Charter. She went 3-4 with 3 HR and 6 RBI. Weir brought in 45 percent (2,268 votes) to bring home the award. JSZ’s Jay Cook presented Weir with her game ball after practice earlier this week: Aiden Cody, St. John Vianney (Central Jersey Baseball) Aiden Cody has been the Lancers’ staff ace all season long and delivered one of this top performances of the season last week. Cody tossed a complete game one-hitter with 14 K’s to lead St. John Vianney to a 1-0 victory over Manasquan on May 10. He commanded just shy of 40 percent of the vote to bring home the weekly honor. Ryan Rogers, Saint Rose (Central Jersey Baseball) The Saint Rose senior pitcher had a stellar complete-game shutout with 13 strikeouts against Ocean Township to win our JSZ Week 5 Central Jersey Game Ball. We stopped by Saint Rose to give Ryan his Game Ball: Dimitra & Zoe Milonopoulos, Old Bridge (Central Jersey Softball) A little bit of twin magic was at work when the Milonopoulos sisters took the field against East Brunswick on May 11. Dimitra and Zoe combined to go 5-8 at the dish and also collectively knocked in five runs in a 6-0 win. The duo edged out a fellow GMC nominee to win the awards 3,043 total votes. Jersey Sports Zone’s Game Balls are brought to you by RWJ Barnabas Health

Sophomore Jackson Lu led the scoring attack in RBC’s opening round win against Eastern Christian. Check out all the highlights from Red Bank! Red Bank Catholic 18 Eastern Christian 3 | Non-Public “B” Boys First Round Sophomore Jackson Lu had a career-high seven-point game with four goals and three assists and Torin Harmon had a four-goal, five-point game to reach 100 points for the season as the Caseys cruised into the Non-Public “B” quarterfinals and a matchup with Holy Spirit in the next round. JSZ’s Rich Chrampanis has the highlights from Red Bank: Jersey Sports Zone’s coverage of Red Bank Catholic is brought to you by Monmouth Medical Center in Long Branch

Egg Harbor Twp. 6 Cedar Creek 3 | CAL Tournament Final The Eagles take home the inaugural Cape-Atlantic League Tournament championship behind a ten strikeout complete game by Madison Dollard. Natalia Stewart and Ryley Martini each drove in a run as part of a four-run fifth inning for EHT (21-1). MaKenzie Baggstrom and Liz Martin finished with RBIs in the loss for Cedar Creek (22-5). JSZ’s James Mooney has the highlights and reaction from Egg Harbor Township: JSZ’s coverage of the Cape-Atlantic League Tournament is made possible by OceanFirst Bank.

A pair of players who had big-time performances were awarded their JSZ North Jersey Game Balls. Check out their presentations below! Rzepinski K’s 14 in Hudson County Showdown Standing at 6’7″, Ryan Rzepinski is an imposing figure on the mound. He brought the heat in an HCIAL showdown against Union City on May 5. Rzepiński struck out 14 batters across six innings of work in a 3-1 win against the Soaring Eagles, in Union City. He was nominated for, and won, the JSZ Week 5 North Jersey Baseball Game Ball after bringing in 640 votes (43 percent) to win the award. JSZ’s Jay Cook presented Rzepinski with the award last week: Goetz Goes Wild in Win over Demarest Abigail Goetz’s bat was on fire in a recent Big North Conference showdown last week. She was 3-4 at the plate and knocked in 6 RBI as the Cardinals took down Demarest, 24-7, on May 5. Goetz won JSZ’s Week 5 North Jersey Softball Game Ball with 363 votes (53 percent). JSZ’s Jay Cook presented Abigail with the award last week:

Debbie Schwartz has turned Donovan Catholic into a New Jersey softball powerhouse program in the last several seasons. The Griffins are the favorite to claim a third consecutive Tournament of Champions title next month. This week, Schwartz became the first woman to reach 700 career wins in NJ softball history. JSZ’s Mike Frankel was on hand for the milestone, and has the story: JSZ’s softball coverage is brought to you in part by OceanFirst Bank.

Trailing by four goals at halftime of the Somerset County Tournament championship game, the Big Blue took a collective deep breath. Then, they turned up the pressure. Pingry (11-3) erased that deficit and climbed out of the hole to rally and win their first SCT title since 2006 with a 10-7 win over Bridgewater-Raritan (12-3). Duke commit Luke Engelke – a FOGO committed to Duke – was arguably the best player on the field. He won 17 of 21 face-offs and gave Pingry a distinct possession advantage late in the game. Pingry’s Ryan Palmer, committed to Rutgers, led all scorers with four goals in the game. JSZ’s Jay Cook has the highlights and reaction from the Nap Torpey Complex in Bridgewater: Jersey Sports Zone’s coverage of Pingry is brought to you by Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital in Somerville.  Jersey Sports Zone’s coverage of Bridgewater-Raritan is brought to you by Princeton Orthopaedic Associates.

JSZ has plenty of action for you to help close out the week, including the Somerset County final, and the CAL Tournament semifinals. Hillsborough 3 Watchung Hills 0 | Somerset County Tournament Final Another stellar pitching performance from Sarah Davenport delivers the Raiders their second county championship in as many years. Davenport threw a complete game three-hitter with 15 strikeouts to lead Hillsborough (11-5) to a gritty win over previously unbeaten Watchung Hills (16-1). Diya Patel went 2-4 with 2 RBI at the dish for Hillsborough in the win. JSZ’s Jay Cook has the highlights and reaction from the Torpey Athletic Complex in Bridgewater: Jersey Sports Zone’s coverage of Hillsborough is brought to you by Princeton Orthopaedic Associates. Jersey Sports Zone’s coverage of Watchung Hills is brought to you by Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital in Somerville.  Egg Harbor Twp. 10 Buena 3 | Cape-Atlantic League Tournament Semifinal After trailing 1-0 for two innings, the Eagles exploded for a six-run, two-out rally in the third inning to take control. Madison Biddle and Kiki Schlemo each tripled and drove in a pair of runs in the frame. Sofia Spatocco added a late two-run homer to seal the win for top-seeded EHT (19-1) Kendal Bryant homered, while Camryn Johnson drove in a pair of runs for fourth-seeded Buena (16-8) in the loss. The Eagles advance to face Cedar Creek in the CAL Tournament final next week. JSZ’s Mike Frankel has the highlights: Cedar Creek 8 St. Joseph Academy 6 | Cape-Atlantic League Tournament Semifinal The second-seeded Pirates take the rubber match with the Wildcats to punch their ticket to the inaugural CAL Tournament title game. Liz Martin pitched a complete game and added two RBIs in the win for Cedar Creek (21-4). Abby Willis hit a three-run home run in the loss for third-seeded St. Joe (16-8). Cedar Creek will face top-seed EHT in the CAL Tournament final next week. JSZ’s James Mooney has the highlights from Egg Harbor City: JSZ’s softball coverage is made possible by OceanFirst Bank.

The Crimson Knights score a walk-off win against Marlboro in the Monmouth County Tournament semifinals. JSZ has all the action from another exciting high school baseball game Wall 7 Marlboro 6 | Monmouth County Tournament Semifinal Drew Jarkowsky’s RBI single in the bottom of the 7th helped Wall cap off an impressive comeback to reach the Monmouth County Tournament championship game. The Crimson Knights fell behind 5-0 in the second inning before scratching out three runs in the fourth inning and three more in the sixth. Jackson Coan’s 2-run single makes it a 6-5 game and Nick Lovarco tied the game at 6 with an RBI single. Andrew Fischer went 3-4 with a run and pitched a scoreless seventh to earn the win in relief. Wall will face Middletown South for the Monmouth County championship this Wednesday at Brookdale Community College. JSZ’s Rich Chrampanis has the highlights from Wall: Jersey Sports Zone’s high school baseball coverage is brought to you by RWJ Barnabas Health

The Ironmen’s reign over New Jersey baseball continues. Don Bosco (16-3) hit three home runs and leaned on steady pitching to secure an 8-1 win over St. Joe’s (15-5), while also locking up a regular season sweep of the Green Knights. Allen Hernandez launched a two-run blast in the first inning. Caden Dana led off the fourth inning with a solo shot and Eric Becker cranked a grand slam in the top of the seventh inning to put the game out of reach. Michael Staiano drew the start for Don Bosco and allowed one run over five strong innings of work. JSZ’s Jay Cook has the highlights from Montvale: Jersey Sports Zone’s baseball coverage is brought to you by RWJ Barnabas Health!

JSZ has tremendous action from around the state, including a pair of Joe Hartmann Diamond Classic quarterfinal games in South Jersey! St. Augustine 4 Cherokee 3 (8 innings) | Diamond Classic Quarterfinal Trailing 3-0 in the 6th inning, Penn commit Ryan Taylor blasted a three-run homer for the Hermits to force extra innings. Then in the 8th inning, an Austin Sofran double plus an interference call made it a walk-off win for top-seeded St. Augustine (15-1). Dylan Cruice drove in a pair of runs for eighth-seeded Cherokee (13-5) in the loss. The Prep will host Kingsway in the Diamond Classic semifinals on Saturday. JSZ’s Mike Frankel has the highlights from Richland: JSZ’s baseball coverage is brought to you in part by OceanFirst Bank. Kingsway 4 Shawnee 1 | Diamond Classic Quarterfinal The Dragons stay in the hunt for their first Diamond Classic title behind an eight strikeout performance from Coastal Carolina commit Landon Edwards. Colin Gill hit a solo home run in the win for Kingsway (16-3). Rutgers commit Ethan Bowen racked up 13 strikeouts over five innings in the loss for Shawnee (15-4). Kingsway will face top-seed St. Augustine in the Diamond Classic semifinals on Saturday. JSZ’s James Mooney has the highlights: Coverage of Shawnee is brought to you by Cooper University Health Care.

County tournament season is alive and well in New Jersey. We’ve got a pair of tournament semifinal games as baseball across the state heats up. Stay tuned for all the highlights! Rutgers Prep 6 Somerville 3 | Somerset County Tournament Semifinal A strong outing from freshman southpaw Zach Fronio has the sixth-seeded Argonauts back in the county final for the first time in five seasons. Fronio hurled 95 pitches and four strikeouts across six strong innings to help get Rutgers Prep (13-2) into the title game in a convincing win against second seed Somerville (10-8). Max Treonze led the offense with a 3-4 day and a pair of RBI in the win. Rutgers Prep will face top-seeded Ridge in the county final on May 23. JSZ’s Jay Cook has the highlights and reaction from TD Bank Ballpark in Bridgewater: Middletown South 2 Red Bank Catholic 0 (9 Innings) | Monmouth County Tournament Semifinal Joe Stanzione blasted a 2-run walk-off homer in the bottom of the 9th inning to break a scoreless tie and give the Eagles a spot in the Monmouth County Tournament championship game next Monday. The game was highlighted by an incredible pitcher’s duel between Middletown South’s Ben Schild and RBC’s Alex Stanyek. Stanyek threw six shutout innings allowing 2 hits, walking three and striking out 13. Schild was able to pitch 8.1 shutout innings with 10 K’s and allowed only 2 hits and one walk. Middletown South will face the winner of Marlboro and Wall this Friday for the Monmouth County title. JSZ’s Rich Chrampanis has the highlights of an outstanding game in Middletown: JSZ’s coverage of Somerville, Rutgers Prep, Middletown South, and Red Bank Catholic is made possible by RWJ Barnabas Health.

It’s time to recognize the best baseball and softball performances from around the Garden State. Our JSZ team has combed the box scores to find the best individual efforts in North, Central and South Jersey. Our polls are open now through Tuesday at 3:00 p.m. The winner of each poll will receive a JSZ Game Ball during the season. To nominate a player for a Game Ball please email the JSZ team before Saturday at 8:00 p.m. Mike Frankel: mikefrankel@jerseysportszone.com (South nominations) Jay Cook: jay@jerseysportszone.com (North nominations) Rich Chrampanis: rich@jerseysportszone.com (Central nominations) North Jersey Central Jersey South Jersey Jersey Sports Zone’s Game Balls are brought to you by RWJ Barnabas Health

Holy Spirit 18 Lower Cape May 17 | Girls The Spartans built a 12-4 halftime lead, before holding off a furious Caper Tigers comeback attempt down the stretch. Leah Corkhill led Holy Spirit (11-3) with four goals, while Hanna Watson and Maddie Abbott each scored three goals. Sabrina Faulkner poured in a game-high eight goals for Lower Cape May (11-4) in the loss. Spirit takes over first place in the Cape-Atlantic League National Division with the victory. JSZ’s Mike Frankel has the highlights from a wet and windy Ed Byrnes Stadium in Absecon: JSZ’s lacrosse coverage is brought to you in part by OceanFirst Bank.

Jersey Sports Zone has profiled the growth of flag football in New Jersey. We decided to give the top two teams in the Shore the Friday Night Lights treatment and Holmdel and Shore Regional did not disappoint. Watch a full breakdown of an excellent game NOW! Shore Regional 28 Holmdel 19 Rylee Drahos had 10 receptions for 122 yards and four touchdowns along with two interceptions to account for all of Shore’s points in a matchup of the top two teams in the 10-team Shore Conference football league. Julia Iannuzzelli threw all four TD passes for Shore. The Shore Regional quarterback played an hour earlier for the Blue Devils varsity softball team going 1-3 with a run scored. The second season of Shore Conference flag football is supported by the New York Giants and continues to grow across the state. Take a look at these highlights and you’ll see that growth firsthand in an excellent game played by both teams: Jersey Sports Zone’s coverage of Shore Regional is brought to you by Monmouth Medical Center

We have a trio of games from all over the Garden State on a busy Wednesday on the diamond. Enjoy the highlights! St. Joseph (Metuchen) 8 Steinert 4 No. 8 St. Joseph (Metuchen) defeated no. 9 Steinert 8-4 to pick up a third straight victory. The Falcons struck with two runs in the first inning before Steinert tied the game at 2-2 on a two RBI single from Joe Giori in the bottom of the third. St. Joe’s would tack on a pair of scores in the fourth and three in the fifth inning. Pitcher Xavier Arana ended the afternoon with 5 hits allowed, three earned runs and six strike outs for the Falcons, Rutgers commit Andrew Goldan came in relief to allow no hits and struck out four batters. JSZ’s Nery Rodriguez has the highlights: Thank you to Princeton Orthopaedic Associate for sponsoring our Steinert coverage.  Thank you to Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital for sponsoring our St. Joseph Metuchen coverage. Cherokee 9 Delran 5 | Diamond Classic The Chiefs got the bats going in a hurry to charge past the Bears and into the Diamond Classic quarterfinals. Navy commit Evan Brown got things going with a leadoff home run and finished with three RBIs in the win for Cherokee (11-4). KJ Giangreco hit a solo home run in the loss for Delran (10-4). Delran will take on top-seed St. Augustine in the Diamond Classic quarterfinals early next week. JSZ’s James Mooney has the highlights from Marlton: JSZ’s baseball coverage is made possible by OceanFirst Bank. Delbarton 11 Roxbury 2 Jack Harley went 2-3 with three RBIs as the Green Wave picked up its third straight win. Kevin Hager finished with two hits, two runs, and three RBIs in the win for Delbarton (11-5). Nick Morales drove in a run to cap off a 2-3 day from the plate in the loss for Roxbury (8-8). JSZ’s Rich Chrampanis has the highlights: JSZ’s baseball coverage is made possible by RWJ Barnabas Health.

Mike Filippone turned in one of the most productive days of his high school baseball career on April 20. Facing Morris Hills, Filippone went 2-5 at the plate and registered six RBI (including a grand slam) as Hanover Park captured a 17-7 win over the Knights. Thanks to that effort, Filippone was nominated for and won JSZ’s Week 3 North Jersey Baseball Game Ball. He earned just shy of 7,300 votes for over 50 percent of the voting bloc to win the game ball. JSZ’s Jay Cook stopped by practice to present Filippone with his award: Jersey Sports Zone’s game ball awards are made possible by RWJ Barnabas Health!

It’s a busy Sunday around the state and the JSZ team brings you three great games from the Thank You Classic and the Monmouth County Tournament! Passaic Tech 7 St. Joseph (Met.) 4 | Thank You Classic All it took was a little bit of Twin Magic for the Bulldogs to upset a Top 20 team in the state. The Gilligan Twins – Johnny and Jace – led the way for Passaic Tech (11-3) in a huge program win over St. Joseph (Met.) (12-3). Johnny tossed a complete game with four strikeouts and also blasted a three-run homer. Jace clobbered a two-run home run in the sixth inning to put the game out of reach. JSZ’s Jay Cook has the highlights from the Wood-Ridge Athletic Complex: Jersey Sports Zone’s coverage of St. Joseph (Met.) is brought to you by Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital in New Brunswick. St. Joseph Academy 11 Haddonfield 1 | Thank You Classic A six-run outburst in the second inning propelled the Wildcats to a convincing victory over the Bulldogs at the Thank You Classic. Ty Powell led the way offensively with 3 RBIs in the win. Mike Cirucci struck out six batters in a complete game win for St. Joseph Academy (10-1). Matt Stamm had the lone RBI of the day in the loss for Haddonfield (5-4). JSZ’s James Mooney has highlights from Hammonton Lake Park: JSZ’s high school baseball coverage is made possible by OceanFirst Bank. Red Bank Catholic 9 Freehold Township 2 | Monmouth County Quarterfinal Jake Jacobson launched a three-run homer as part of a five-run fourth inning to help the Caseys reach the Monmouth County semifinal. Freshman Dylan Passo broke a 2-2 tie with a 2-run single to give RBC the lead shortly followed by Jacobson’s blast to left field, his second homer in as many days. RBC will face Middletown South in the semifinals this Satursday. JSZ’s Rich Chrampanis has the highlights from Freehold: Jersey Sports Zone’s coverage of RBC is brought to you by Monmouth Medical Center in Long Branch.

Just one day after being no-hit, East Brunswick was locked into a tight battle with rival South Brunswick. Bears pitcher Michael Marchese took the mound and delivered a clutch three hit, 12 strike out performance in the 4-2 victory. The fans have spoken and he is JSZ’s Week Three Central Jersey Game Ball Winner.

Two teams on five-game win streaks collided in Red Bank on Saturday morning. Check out the highlights of the Lady Lion’s big road win at RBC! Mount St. Mary 11 Red Bank Catholic 9 Virginia Tech commit Sarah Gresham tied a career-high with eight goals to give her 68 on the season as the Lady Lions held off the Caseys to win their sixth straight game. RBC scored three straight goals to get within 9-8 in the second half before Gresham scored her eighth goal to secure the victory. Mount St. Mary has now won 11 of its last 12 games. JSZ’s Rich Chrampanis has the highlights from Red Bank: Jersey Sports Zone’s coverage of RBC is brought to you by Monmouth Medical Center

The Garden State’s top athletes took centerstage at the 126th Penn Relays, one of the most prestigious international track and field events on the calendar. Union Catholic’s boys Distance Medley Relay team brought home the first Championship of America title in program history to highlight a stellar weekend for New Jersey’s best at the University of Pennsylvania: JSZ’s James Mooney has the story from Philadelphia: NJ Championship of America Winners Faith Bethea, Snyder (Girls Triple Jump) Greg Foster, Lawrenceville (Boys Long Jump) Angelina Perez, Lakeland (Girls 3,000M) Niki Woods, Demarest (Girls Javelin) NJ Championship of America Medalists Benjamin Shue, Bergen Catholic – 3rd place & Top American (Boys Discus) Tyler Zawatski, Freehold Twp. – 5th place (Boys Javelin) Jaden Johnson, Timber Creek – 5th place (Boys Triple Jump) Joe Licata, Gill St. Bernard’s – 3rd place & Top American (Boys Shot Put) Damarion Potts, South Brunswick – 2nd place & Top American (Boys High Jump) Jefferey Cianfrocca, Delbarton – 4th place (Boys High Jump) Brian O’Sullivan, Hillsborough – 4th place (Boys Pole Vault) Kevin O’Sullivan, Hillsborough – (tied) 5th place (Boys Pole Vault) Connor Munson, Westwood – (tied) 5th place (Boys Pole Vault) Union Catholic – 3rd place (Girls 4×800 Relay) Cherokee – 4th place (Girls 4×800 Relay) Amiri Whittle, Hackensack – 5th place (Boys 3,000M) Casey Sullivan, Demarest – 3rd place (Girls Shot Put) Celine-Jada Brown, Plainfield – 4th place (Girls Long Jump) Alanna Woolfolk, Clayton – (tied) 4th place (Girls High Jump) Samantha Strydesky, Howell – (tied) 4th place (Girls High Jump) Lauren Cashman, Montgomery – 3rd place (Girls Pole Vault) Metuchen – 2nd place (Girls Distance Medley Relay) Colts Neck – 4th place (Girls Distance Medley Relay) Coverage of the 2022 Penn Relays is made possible by RWJ Barnabas Health.

Watchung Hills has been on a tear to open the 2022 season. Their toughest test in April – a matchup against Hunterdon Central – was on the docket and the Warriors sent their ace to the mound. She delivered. The Purdue University commit hurled a complete game two-hitter with a staggering 13 strikeouts in a 1-0 win over the Red Devils on April 21. Raymond was nominated for – and won – JSZ’s Week 3 North Jersey Softball Game Ball for that pitching performance. She collected nearly 41 percent of the fan vote to take home the honor. JSZ’s Jay Cook presented Raymond with the game ball on Thursday: Jersey Sports Zone’s North, Central and South Jersey Game Ball are presented by RWJ Barnabas Health!

Cole Armond had three hits and two RBI’s to help Red Bank Regional advance in the Monmouth County baseball tournament. Watch the highlights of RBR and Shore Regional now! Red Bank Regional 10 Shore Regional 2 | Monmouth County Tournament Nate Ruth pitched five innings of one-hit ball with ten strikeouts and the Bucs took advantage of six Shore Regional errors to advance to the Round of 16 in the Shore Conference Tournament and a matchup with second seed Freehold Township. Cole Armond went 3-5 with 2 RBI’s and Jackson Hyman had a 2 RBI day as Red Bank broke a five-game losing streak. JSZ’s Rich Chrampanis has the highlights from West Long Branch: Jersey Sports Zone’s coverage of Red Bank Regional and Shore Regional is brought to you by Monmouth Medical Center

The battle of Middletown goes to South! The Eagles put on an offensive display and Ben Schild continues to have a stellar junior year. Watch the highlights of the Eagles and Lions now! Middletown South 13 Middletown North 1 (5 innings) Joe Stanzione blasted two home runs and drove in four RBI’s to lead the Eagles bats and Ben Schild retired 13 straight batters after giving up a first-inning home run to lead South to a third straight win and tenth overall victory of the year. The Eagles erupted for five runs in the first inning and seven more in the second. Schild threw a five-inning one-hitter striking out nine and walking no one. JSZ’s Rich Chrampanis has the highlights from Middletown: Jersey Sports Zone’s coverage of Middletown North and Middletown South is brought to you by Monmouth Medical Center

Game in and game out this season, Rumson-Fair Haven has established itself as one of the best pound-for-pound lacrosse teams in the state. Head coach Mark Moreau doesn’t shy away from a challenge, but it was the Bulldogs who turned up the heat this time around on a national powerhouse. IMG Academy, a Top-20 nationally ranked team by InsideLacrosse, staved off an impressive upset attempt from the Bulldogs and captured a 7-6 win in overtime at Rutgers University. RFH (8-3) played crisp, smart lacrosse through this game and held a 6-4 lead on IMG Academy (12-3) going into the fourth quarter. IMG scored a pair of goals in a two minute span and forced overtime before hitting the eventual game-winner in the final 10 seconds of the first OT period. Yale commit Cole Cashion was stellar in the loss – his three goals were a game-high. Johnny Maccarone and Elijah Stobaugh each had two goal performances for IMG in the win. JSZ’s Jay Cook has all of the highlights from the Marco Battaglia Practice Complex in Piscataway: Jersey Sports Zone’s coverage of Rumson-Fair Haven is brought to you by Mario Venancio of Berkshire Hathaway Fox & Roach Realtors.

Phillipsburg High School once again looked back on its rich history to induct the Stateliners second athletic Hall of Fame class. Watch JSZ’s feature on the ceremony! Phillipsburg’s Garnet Booster Club is the catalyst for honoring the greats from one of New Jersey’s most tradition-filled and historic athletic programs in the state. The second edition of the Stateliners Hall of Fame featured a mix of football legends from over 100 years ago along with three living legends. JSZ was at the ceremony to honor the newest group of Stateliner Hall of Famers: Congratulations to the 2022 Phillipsburg Athletic Hall of Fame Class 1918 FOOTBALL TEAM The 1918 Football Team was the first team to be recognized as state champions by the NJSIAA. They had a season record 6-1 losing only to Barringer. They scored 336 points and gave up only 13 to Barringer. They were coached by legendary coach Mike Maloney. The 1918 team defeated Washington 101-0, and Lincoln 99-0.   Phillipsburg defeated Easton that year, 9-0. TED DAILEY First Team All-State Defensive End, Captain, and Four Year starter from 1925-1928. Daily scored 42 of the team’s 89 points in 19+28. He was an All-American at the University of Pittsburgh and went on to coach at Syracuse University for 25 years. During that time, the school won its only National Championship for football. Daily has also been recognized in the Phillipsburg-Easton Football Hall of Fame.  GEORGE “SAMMY” MOYER First Team All-State halfback who played on three unbeaten teams from 1933-1935. Moyer had three wins over Easton and was inducted into the Phillipsburg-Easton Football Hall of Fame in 2006. He was captain of the 1935 10-0 undefeated team that was co-state champions with Bloomfield. He led the team in touchdowns, with 14 total. Moyer played on a tough Phillipsburg team that had seven shutouts and allowed only 24 points. Moyer scored 102 career points. He is in the Lafayette College Hall of fame where he earned honorable mention All-American status as a running back and coached the Phillipsburg football from 1952-1953. CLAYTON WILLEVER First team all-state quarterback who led the 1918 state championship team. Willever scored a school record seven touchdowns in one game, and kicked four extra points in setting the school record of 46 points in a 99-0 victory over Lincoln of Jersey City in 1919. Willever amassed 195 career points which stood for over 70 years as the school record. His 17 touchdowns in 1918 are still in the career top ten for a single season, and he is tied for seventh in career touchdowns at Phillipsburg with 29.EILEEN CLYMER SCHWAB Eileen Clymer Schwab earned 12 Varsity letters while at Phillipsburg. She competed in three sports, as a four-year starter in field hockey, basketball and softball. Clymer Schwab was captain of all three teams, an all star in all three. She was the starting short stop on two state championship softball teams in 1975 and 1976. She is a published author of two books.  MARY JANE DEUTSCH Mary Jane “MJ” Deutsch is best known as a softball and basketball standout with eight varsity letters. She held records in batting average, RBI’s, singles, triples & home runs. She was a starter on three state championship teams in 1973, 1975, and 1976.  At the time Phillipsburg participated in the East Penn League, she was part of championship teams 1973-1976, hit .517 with 18 RBIs, and did not strike out in 47 at-bats. She was recognized as a First-team all-East Penn League 1974, 1975, 1976. She was also a  four-year starter and all-star in basketball who broke all-time basketball scoring and rebound records in 1976. Deutsch coached basketball, softball, track & field during the 1980s, was a Supervisor of Health, Phys Ed, and Special Ed served as the Assistant Athletic Director, an Assistant Principal, Principal, and held a 39-year career in the Phillipsburg School District, with 31 years as an administrator.RICK THOMPSON Rick Thompson is a three-sport star and coach best known as a two-time state wrestling champion, four-time district champion, three-time regional champion, and one of the wrestling coaches in Phillipsburg history with a record combined 268-54-1 in his career. His wrestling team won 15 Sectional Championships and eight Group titles with six Group second-place finishes. Thompson coached nine individual State Champions and 43 state place-winners, as well as many regional and district winners. This editor remembers two events like yesterday. The high-flying Mr. Thompson who never sat in his chair, and being a Stateliner from 1985 -1989 in this PIT. We have plenty of memories, especially 1987 and 1988 matches that had an energy unmatched. Thompson also earned eight varsity letters in cross-country and track and later served as a coach or assistant coach of both teams. He finished seventh in the state at cross-country in 1972. Thompson’s return to Phillipsburg also started the girls cross-country program with Neil Frankenfield in 1984. They won 88 straight meets and four EPC championships as well as three New Jersey State Sectional Championships. Career coaching record of 195-39-1 with the girls team. The Boys country teams won three EPC championships, a Group 4 State Championship and finished third in the Meet of Champions. Thompson often cites cross county as one of his favorite sports to coach. “The time is what it is, there’s no bad calls in cross county or track”. Thompson has also been recognized as #33 in the Top 100 sports figures of the 20th century by the Express-Times, NJ State Coach of the Year in 1988, and earned Express-Times Coach of the Year four times.

It’s time to recognize the best baseball and softball performances from around the Garden State. Our JSZ team has combed the box scores to find the best individual efforts in North, Central and South Jersey. Our polls are open now through Tuesday at 3:00 p.m. The winner of each poll will receive a JSZ Game Ball during the season. To nominate a player for a Game Ball please email the JSZ team before Saturday at 8:00 p.m. Mike Frankel: mikefrankel@jerseysportszone.com (South nominations) Jay Cook: jay@jerseysportszone.com (North nominations) Rich Chrampanis: rich@jerseysportszone.com (Central nominations) North Jersey Central Jersey South Jersey Jersey Sports Zone’s Game Balls are brought to you by RWJ Barnabas Health

Alex Ciccone has been one of South Brunswick’s go-to senior playmakers. In the Viking’s 11-1 win over Hunterdon Central, Ciccone went 2-3 with 3 RBI’s. The fans have spoken and he is JSZ’s Week Two Game Ball Winner. 

Two more remarkable performances from North Jersey were honored in this week’s RWJ Barnabas Health Game Balls presentations. Let’s take a trip up to Bergen County and meet the two winners. Marco Goes Wild in Thrilling Win Over Park Ridge Waldwick’s Anthony Marco brought his “A” game in an NJIC Patriot Division showdown against Park Ridge on April 11. Marco went 3-3 from the plate with a pair of HR’s and five total RBI. He held the Owls off the board late with a clean 1.2 innings of work on the mound before cracking the walk-off hit in the bottom of the seventh inning. Marco brought in 32 percent of the fan vote to win the game ball. JSZ’s Jay Cook presented Anthony with his award during practice this week: Nuziale Walks It Off for Fair Lawn Conference games always have the tendency to go down to the wire. That was the case on April 13 when hosted Wayne Hills. Cutters’ junior Ava Nuziale stepped up to the plate in the bottom of the seventh inning in a 3-3 game and delivered a walk-off hit to help secure the win. Nearly 36 percent of the fan vote submitted came in favor of Ava Nuziale. JSZ’s Jay Cook presented Ava with her award: Jersey Sports Zone’s game ball presentation and voting is brought to you by RWJ Barnabas Health.

JSZ has a pair of exciting games for you heading into the weekend! St. Augustine 13 Kingsway 4 The Hermits pulled away from the Dragons late in a battle between undefeated South Jersey squads. Iona commit Josiah Ragsdale gave St. Augustine (8-0) the lead with a two-run triple in the fourth inning. Austin Sofran finished 3-3 with three RBIs in the win, while Mason Dorsey also went 3-3 with an RBI triple. Evan Mangifesta has an RBI for Kingsway (8-1) in the loss. JSZ’s Mike Frankel has the highlights: JSZ’s baseball coverage is brought to you in part by OceanFirst Bank. Cranford vs. South Brunswick | Autism Awareness Showcase No. 18 Cranford improved to 8-2 following a 19-7 victory over South Brunswick. The Cougars fell behind 4-1 after the second inning. However, Cranford would score four runs in the top of the fifth to take a 7-4 lead. South Brunswick would tie the game thanks to a three run home run from Ethan Fantel, but a 12 run sixth inning put this one out of reach late. Shea Grady and Ryan Jaros both with finished with two RBI’s, Shane Van Dam went 2-4 with two RBI’s, Jack Conley went 3-5 with two RBI’s and Lucca Limeira led the way, going 2-5 with four RBI’s. JSZ’s Nery Rodriguez has the highlights: Thank you to Princeton Orthopaedic Associates for sponsoring our South Brunswick coverage.  Thank you to Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital for sponsoring our Cranford coverage. 

Paul VI 13 Washington Twp. 12 The Eagles saw an early 8-1 lead disappear, before rallying to take the lead again in the sixth inning, and then holding off the Minutemaids in the seventh inning. Merry Pavlik homered in the victory for Paul VI (9-0). Jordan Mader paced the Eagles offense with four RBIs. Kayla Cavanaugh had a pair of RBIs for Township (4-4) in the loss. JSZ’s Mike Frankel has the highlights: Coverage of Washington Township is brought to you by Cooper University Health Care.